v  Background

There are many aspects of the work of the Volunteer Youth Corps, which make up the social programme portfolio of the organisation. These components are:

-         Big Brothers Big Sisters Programme

-         Guyana Information Youth Project

-         Counselling and Counselling Training

-         Environmental Awareness and Education

-         Civil Society Strengthening and Support

-         Youth Employment Network

-         Public Outreach

v   Counselling and Hotline Counselling Training

The VYC has worked with numerous non-governmental organisations in Guyana particularly in three of Guyana’s 10 administrative regions (Regions 2, 6 and 10). Hotline Counsellors from these organisations were trained to provide counselling mainly to young people affected by many social pathologies such as: HIV/AIDS, Suicide, Domestic Violence among others. VYC also provides limited face-to-face counselling services at its office. Sometimes referrals are made to social service agencies that are more equipped to attend to the myriad needs of people seeking counselling at the organisation.

Civil Society Strengthening and Support

Professional volunteers of the organisation on a regular basis provide training and strategic planning assistance to youth groups and other organisations seeking the support of VYC. Workshops are held in areas such as: Strategic Planning and Peer Education.

VYC is also involved in a several networks of non-governmental organisations such as the Guyana Federation of UNESCO Clubs and the Guyana STI/HIV/AIDS Youth Project.

Click on link for VYC and Youth In Development Workshop http://www.yid.org.gy/2workshop.html

Public Outreach

A vital component of the VYC’s strategy of reaching and saving lives especially young people is its outreach using various events and activities. The VYC volunteers participate in  national exhibitions and other public events where they are engaged in bringing vital information to the public through public information materials, condom distribution and presentations. These outreach activities take place regularly and are sometimes as a direct result of a request made to the VYC.

Youth Employment Summit

In Guyana, VYC is the facilitating agency for the Youth Employment Summit Network (YESGY). The VYC works with all stakeholders in Guyana to bring them together to devise strategies and common solutions to addressing the issue of youth unemployment. As an affiliate of the Youth Employment Summit Network of the Education Development Centre in USA, VYC is coordinating efforts aimed at consolidating a representative network of organisations in Guyana actively addressing this issue.

Visit the YESGY link at http://projects.takingitglobal.org/YES-Guyana for additional information on the work of YESGY.

Environmental Awareness and Education

In 1998, VYC coordinated Guyana First Environmental Youth Consultation. This meeting saw the highest level representation from Government of Guyana with the Guyanese President formally announcing that mining in the area of the Kaieteur National Park, the highest one-drop water fall in the world and a UNESCO heritage site will no longer be permitted.

The VYC efforts today include awareness programmes and some collaboration with the City Council of Georgetown to clean up the environment.

For more information on this project contact gscott@vycguyana.org